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UEFA Champions League Preview: Chelsea v Basel
17 September 2013
Chelsea's bid to win a third major European trophy in successive seasons begins when they host Basel in the UEFA Champions League.
The Premier League side won the UEFA Europa League last season, while they lifted the Champions League in the 2011-12 campaign, and they will be determined to claim the main prize again.
Wednesday's Group E clash at Stamford Bridge will be vital for the London club, with returning manager Jose Mourinho sure to demand a fast start from his men.
Chelsea and Basel are well acquainted, having met in the semi-finals of the Europa League last term, with Chelsea winning 5-2 on aggregate.
That success came under interim manager Rafael Benitez, though, with Mourinho in charge now as he looks to win the title for the third time.
Mourinho has won the Champions League at both Porto and Inter, but is yet to win it at Chelsea, coming closest in 2004-05 and 2006-07, when they reached the semi-finals.
Chelsea have not made an ideal start to the season, winning just two of their first four Premier League matches, while they lost to Bayern Munich in the Super Cup final on penalties last month.
As a result, they lie sixth in the Premier League table, with Saturday's 1-0 defeat at Everton fresh in the memory.
Cameroon international Samuel Eto'o made his debut in that fixture, but the 32-year-old striker was guilty of missing several chances.
Mourinho will expect more from the former Inter player, and Spaniard Fernando Torres may start as a result of his sub-standard performance.
Chelsea's array of young stars could all play big roles in the Champions League this season, with Oscar, Eden Hazard and Andre Schurrle all impressing in the early stages of the campaign.
Basel have their own stars to boast and among those is veteran forward Marco Streller, who has already racked up four goals in just five games in the Swiss Super League.
Their league form has been good, losing just one of their seven matches this season, and they sit third on the table as a result.
The Swiss side have form for giant-killing – they essentially knocked Manchester United out of the group stages in the 2011-12 Champions League by beating them on the last matchday of the group stages – and Murat Yakin's side have had to work hard for their spot in this year's competition.
They beat Maccabi Tel Aviv 4-3 on aggregate before toppling Ludogorets 6-2 in the play-off round.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Marseille v Arsenal
16 September 2013
Arsenal open their UEFA Champions League campaign at Marseille hoping that their experience can carry them through a tough group.
Arsene Wenger's men head to the Stade Velodrome for their first encounter in Group F on Wednesday and know they will need to start well, with difficult games against Napoli and Borussia Dortmund to come.
Arsenal have qualified from the group stage in each of the last 13 seasons, reaching the final in 2005-06 and the semi-finals in 2008-09.
Defender Laurent Koscielny is aware of the importance of beginning with a win, and feels that their past experience in the competition could prove vital as they attempt to negotiate their way into the knock-out stages.
"The most important thing in the Champions League is to start well," Koscielny told Arsenal Player.
"We are experienced in the Champions League and are all looking forward to this challenge again.
"We know this will be a big challenge for us, but we did well against Marseille and Dortmund the last time we played, and we are confident of doing it again."
New Arsenal signing Mesut Ozil will make his Champions League debut for the club and after impressing on debut on Saturday, it would not surprise to see him star again.
But they will head into the game with a host of injuries, with Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (knee), Santi Cazorla (ankle), and Mikel Arteta (thigh) all set to miss out.
Lukas Podolski (hamstring) and Abou Diaby (knee) are long-term absentees, while Yaya Sanogo (back) and Thomas Rosicky (hamstring) are both expected to be unavailable.
And there is also doubt over the participation of in-form French forward Olivier Giroud, who was substituted in Arsenal's 3-1 win at Sunderland on Saturday with a knee injury.
Giroud has scored in all four Premier League matches he has played in this season.
Marseille, by contrast, have a near fully fit squad to choose from - centre-back Souleymane Diawara is their only anticipated absentee - and they should approach the game with some confidence having lost just two home games in 2013.
They will have the support of the vociferous crowd at the Velodrome, but their performance in Europe last campaign was far from impressive, with Elie Baup's men exiting the UEFA Europa League in the group stages.
Arsenal secured a 1-0 win in their last visit to Marseille in 2011 as Aaron Ramsey scored an injury time winner.
Marseille reached the last eight of the competition in that campaign, despite their group stage defeat, while they won the tournament in the 1992-93 season.
They have made a strong start to their Ligue 1 campaign, losing just one of their first five games, and with attackers Dimitri Payet and Andre-Pierre Gignac having scored six goals between them so far, they have enough quality to trouble a fragile Arsenal defence.
Wenger's men will enter the match with confidence though, as they top the Premier League table, meaning a fascinating encounter is expected in France.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Napoli v Borussia Dortmund
17 September 2013
Borussia Dortmund begin their UEFA Champions League campaign with a tough trip to Napoli following their defeat in the final last season.
The Bundesliga club upset the odds to reach the Wembley showdown in May, overcoming Real Madrid in the semi-final before seeing their dreams of glory shattered by German rivals Bayern Munich.
Jurgen Klopp's side also finished runners-up to Bayern domestically, but despite losing key player Mario Gotze to their rivals, many consider Dortmund to possess a significantly stronger squad this term.
The arrivals of Henrik Mkhitaryan, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Sokratis Papastathopoulos have helped them reel off five league wins on the bounce at the start of the campaign.
But they travel to Naples on Wednesday with a relatively poor record against Italian opposition.
From their 27 matches, they have won nine and lost 14, and although Napoli were defeated in each of their two previous home matches in Europe, Rafael Benitez's side have not suffered a Serie A loss at the Stadio San Paolo in 2013, winning 10 of their 12 fixtures.
The visitors warmed up for their journey to Italy with a brilliant 6-2 win over Hamburg and Marco Reus, who grabbed their fifth, is feeling positive about the team's prospects.
He told the Bundesliga's official website: "We didn't give up at 2-2 and demanded more of ourselves, now we focus on the Champions League.
"More intensity like that over a full 90 minutes and we'll be difficult to beat. I've got my rhythm and confidence back. All I care about is football, I love it, and I love this team. Now on to Napoli."
Like their opponents on Wednesday, Napoli also had the misfortune of seeing their star player depart in the close-season as Edinson Cavani joined Paris Saint-Germain.
However, with the help of the Uruguayan's €64.5 million price tag, they were able to bring in a plethora of reinforcements, including Real Madrid trio Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Callejon and Raul Albiol, as well as Dries Mertens, Pablo Armero and Duvan Zapata.
Benitez's men go into their opener full of confidence after picking up a maximum nine points from their opening three matches, with their most recent outing seeing them comfortably dispose of Atalanta at home.
The Spanish boss has history in this competition, having led Premier League club Liverpool to the crown against the odds in 2005.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Austria Vienna v Porto
16 September 2013
Austria Vienna begin their first appearance in the UEFA Champions League group stage with a home tie against Porto on Wednesday.
Although the Austrian champions have no previous experience in the competition in its current format, Vienna were European Cup semi-finalists as far back as 1979, while they have regularly appeared in the Europa League and its predecessor the UEFA Cup, in which they were defeated in the second round by Jose Mourinho's Porto in 2002-03.
Nenad Bjelica's side have progressed through two rounds of qualifying before reaching the group phase, beating FH Hafnarfjordur of Iceland before squeezing past Dinamo Zagreb 4-3 on aggregate after Roman Kienast netted the all-important goal in the 82nd minute of the second leg.
Vienna clinched the Austrian Bundesliga title last season for the first time since 2005-06 by five points from Red Bull Salzburg, but are currently fifth eight matches into the current campaign and head into the Porto game off the back of two defeats and a draw in all competitions.
Porto, in comparison, have won all four of their league games and are currently top of the Primeira Lig.
The trip to Ernst-Happel-Stadion sees Paulo Fonseca's Porto return to the scene of the club's first European Cup success as they beat Bayern Munich 2-1 in what was then the Praterstadion in 1987.
Under new coach Fonseca, Porto are set for their 18th Champions League campaign, equalling Barcelona and Real Madrid and bettered only by Manchester United, who have appeared in 19, but they saw key players leave during the close-season.
Joao Moutinho and James Rodriguez both departed for Ligue 1 as they joined Monaco for a reported combined total of €70 million, although the acquisitions of Hector Herrera, Diego Reyes and – most notably – Juan Quintero have ensured the Portuguese champions remain an intriguing prospect.
Ahead of the start of their European campaign, Fonseca was relieved to pick up three points against Gil Vicente in a 2-0 win at the weekend before looking forward to Wednesday.
He said: "Winning was the goal. The goal is always to win and achieved that once again in a week that will be difficult.
"We have the first round of the Champions League and it was important to win against a confident opponent."
Joining Porto and Vienna in Group G are Zenit St Petersburg and Atletico Madrid.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Atletico Madrid v Zenit St Petersburg
17 September 2013
Atletico Madrid will seek a measure of revenge versus Zenit St Petersburg after being knocked out of Europe by a Russian side last season.
The Spanish club were beaten 2-1 on aggregate by Rubin Kazan in the last 32 of the UEFA Europa League last term and they kick off their Champions League campaign against Kazan's compatriots on Wednesday.
Diego Simeone's men secured their spot in the Champions League after finishing third in La Liga last term and they have started this season in fine form, with a 100 per cent record from four games.
They meet a Zenit side who have also enjoyed an excellent start to their domestic season, with Saturday's 2-0 victory over Terek Grozny lifting them to second in the Russian Premier League.
Despite losing Radamel Falcao to big-spending Monaco in the summer, Atletico still have a host of attacking talents to call upon.
Chief among them is former Barcelona attacker David Villa, who boasts a wealth of experience in European competition that could prove vital.
Another threat to Zenit will be Brazilian striker Diego Costa, who has enjoyed a fine start to the season.
The 24-year old admitted that he nearly joined English side Liverpool during the summer, but decided to stay loyal to Atletico and has been in great form ever since, finding the net four times in as many league outings.
Visitors Zenit did not travel well during last season's competition, losing four of their five away matches, but they also have a number of attacking options at their disposal.
Danny is among their key assets, with the Portuguese striker having scored six times in their last eight games. Coach Luciano Spalletti will also be hoping that Brazilian forward Hulk recovers from the hip injury that kept him out of action at the weekend.
Spalletti has been tipped as a possible replacement for Cesare Prandelli as Italy coach after the FIFA World Cup, but he insisted that he was enjoying the challenge in Russia.
"In St Petersburg I feel respected by an entire city, both as a sportsman and as a man," he said. "They helped me to work in the best possible circumstances, even during difficult moments, as the city, the fans and the club supported me.
"This is fundamental for me. I might be wrong, but I do everything with sentiment."
Zenit have not won in Spain in five previous attempts.
UEFA Champions League Preview: Milan v Celtic
16 September 2013
Milan will have to battle a lengthy injury list when they begin their UEFA Champions League campaign against Celtic on Wednesday.
The seven-time winners of Europe's premier club competition already had Ignazio Abate, Mattia de Sciglio, Matias Silvestre, Daniele Bonera and Giampaolo Pazzini sidelined prior to their 2-2 weekend draw with Torino.
To make matters worse, Stephan El Shaarawy was forced to pull out of that game with a thigh problem, while Riccardo Montolivo was withdrawn from the action with a similar injury and media reports have suggested that Kaka faces a month out with a thigh strain.
Both El Shaarawy and Montolivo have been ruled out of the Celtic clash, but coach Massimiliano Allegri told Milan's official website: "We'll make do with who we have and we'll have fresh players ready to play what is a delicate and important game."
Allegri's men have won just one of their first three games in Serie A and only salvaged a point at Torino courtesy of late goals from Sulley Muntari and Mario Balotelli.
A similarly slow start in European competition could well prove costly as Milan have been drawn in a difficult Group H that also features Barcelona and Ajax.
Celtic will be aiming to follow up last season's impressive showing in the Champions League, which was highlighted by a shock 2-1 home victory over Barcelona.
Victor Wanyama scored the opening goal of that game but he has since departed to Southampton and star striker Gary Hooper also left the club this summer to join Norwich City.
One of Celtic's summer additions, full-back Steven Mouyokolo, is set to miss the entire group stage after rupturing his Achilles tendon in training, while winger James Forrest returned from international duty with Scotland nursing a back complaint.
However, former Ajax winger Derk Boerrigter, defender Virgil van Dijk and forwards Teemu Pukki and Amido Balde could all make their first Champions League appearances for Neil Lennon's side. Midfielder Nir Biton missed Saturday's 3-1 win at Hearts due to work permit issues and it remains to be seen whether he will be eligible to feature against Milan.
Pukki - a deadline-day arrival from Schalke - made an immediate impression on debut against Hearts, coming off the bench to head home the final goal.
"It is a big thing for me to play again in the Champions League," said the Finn.
"Last year I also played with Schalke but not as a starting player. So I'm hoping to play a lot of games in the Champions League."
UEFA Champions League Preview: Barcelona v Ajax
16 September 2013
Lionel Messi concedes Barcelona face a tough task progressing from Group H ahead of their UEFA Champions League opener with Ajax.
Wednesday's game at the Camp Nou pits together two of European football's most successful teams as both clubs have won the tournament – whether in its current format or previously as the European Cup – a total of four times apiece.
Lining up along with Barca and Ajax in arguably the toughest group in this season's competition are seven-time European champions Milan and Celtic, winners in 1966-67.
Given the Spanish champion's pedigree in the Champions League, victorious in 2006, 2009 and 2011 and semi-finalists in the past two seasons, Gerardo Martino's men will be expected to qualify for the knockout stages, but Messi - who has scored 59 goals in the tournament - feels it is far from a guarantee.
"It's a difficult group, but we knew that would be the case. It's very difficult to win the Champions League – it's already hard from the start," he told UEFA.com.
"I think the groups are very even, very balanced, so there will be some great games. We hope to play at our best level to be able to qualify.
"There are top-class, historic teams in our group – big names. Teams that we've faced before, so we know them a bit. Maybe not so with Ajax, but we've watched them. It's an exciting group."
Barcelona will be without Jordi Alba for their opening game after he picked up a hamstring injury in 3-2 win over Sevilla on Saturday, while Carles Puyol (knee), and Ibrahim Afellay (thigh) are unavailable.
Meanwhile, Ajax are likely to be without Siem de Jong, who has only recently recovered from a collapsed lung, but Daley Blind, Ricardo van Rhijn, Thulani Serero and Joel Veltman are all fit to feature.
Barcelona have tasted defeat just twice at home in this calendar year, with Bayern and Real Madrid the only teams to win at Camp Nou, but Ajax defender Niklas Moisander insists they will show no fear.
"Barcelona is three, four levels higher than our opponents in the league," Moisander told Nusport.
"We are not afraid of a beating, we are going to really try and get something there.
The 31-year-old insists the club captain must be given full backing against Galatasaray in midweek after he was once more left on the bench against Villarreal on Saturday
Diego Lopez has stressed that Iker Casillas has his full support after Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti confirmed he will restore the Spain No.1 to the team against Galatasaray.
Lopez was once more preferred for los Merengues' 2-2 draw with Villarreal on Saturday and the former Sevilla man continued his excellent run of form as Casillas watched on from the bench.
Ancelotti has already made it clear he will hand the World Cup-winner his first start of the season in Madrid's Champions League opener on Tuesday, but Lopez insists he has no qualms over the decision.
"Maximum respect to the coach, who is the decision maker," the 31-year-old told Canal+.
"Now it's time to support Iker. The coach assesses who should play and we have to do our job. Competition is very good and the team is going to benefit.
"There is much talk and what we have to do is to respect and play every game that the coach gives us. I'm not debating everything that exists around it. I'm sorry that there are many different opinions, but I cannot do anything. I focus on my work and fight for a spot. I will do so until the end."
Gareth Bale and Cristiano Ronaldo both scored as Madrid were held by the Yellow Submarine, as Cani and Giovani dos Santos brought the visitors' 100 per cent record this season to and end.
Despite the result, Lopez admitted the match was the most emotional he has ever been part of as he returned to the club where he played more than 200 games between 2007 and 2012.
"It was the most emotional match of my career," he revealed.
"I spent five wonderful years at Villarreal and it will always be in my heart."
The Cote d'Ivoire star aims to get off to a winning start against the Liga giants, although he realises the Istanbul giants face a tough task
Didier Drogba is hopeful that Galatasaray can upset Real Madrid in Tuesday's Champions League encounter in Istanbul.
The Turkish champions recorded a 3-2 home win over Madrid in the quarter-finals of last year's edition of European club football's elite competition and even though they were eventually beaten 5-2 on aggregate, Drogba remains optimistic about his side's chances.
"Madrid are a great club with some great players. Football is a game of 11 against 11 on the pitch, though, so why would we not be able to spring a surprise," he was quoted as saying by AS.
"We can make our fans go crazy with the way we play. I remember last year when the Madrid players were in shock. They all told me that our fans are crazy and I think the Galatasaray supporters are the best.
"I hope that they will cheer us on against Madrid and we want to repay them with a good result.
"It would only be normal if we finished third or fourth in our group, but anything can happen in football. I believe in this team."
Galatasaray will also have to deal with Juventus and Copenhagen in Group B.
By Chris Kvesa20
Sep 16, 2013 4:05:00 PM
The Gala boss believes his side's "world class" supporters can help the club inflict a home defeat on los Blancos for a second time in successive European campaigns
Fatih Terim is adamant Galatasaray can upset Real Madrid in their Champions League group stage encounter on Tuesday.
Gala reached the quarter-finals of the competition last term, where los Blancos eliminated them 5-3 on aggregate over two legs.
But the Turkish giants won the second leg at home 3-2 and Terim believes his men can once again spring a suprise on Carlo Ancelotti's star-studded side.
"Real Madrid are the favorites of this group," Terim said.
"One of the two best players in the world is [Cristiano] Ronaldo. The newcomer [Gareth] Bale, same. [Angel] Di Maria, [Karim] Benzema, [Sergio] Ramos, [Iker] Casillas... There are plenty of them.
"They are very strong. But what we say is that we want to succeed in Ali Sami Yen Arena."
Gala will have the backing of their famous home support on Tuesday and Terim is convinced the club's "world class" supporters can give them a crucial edge.
"We can compete against any team," the 60-year-old told a press conference.
"The will, the heart is important. When the Galatasaray team meet with the supporters, everybody knows what my players can do.
"No one should expect a Galatasaray that will accept defeat - especially in European cups. You may not see me to speak like this in Turkey. But in Europe, this is the case.
"We respect our opponents. But we expect the same thing from them too."
"Our supporters are world class. They will have an important mission. I ask their support for our players. We all are Galatasaray fans."
Jesus: Benfica have point to prove in Champions League
By Alex Moretto8
Sep 16, 2013 11:11:00 PM
The 59-year-old is keen for his side to show what they are capable of after strengthening the squad in the summer
Jorge Jesus believes his revamped Benfica team will prove their worth in this season’s Champions League.
After exiting the competition in the group stage last season, the Portuguese side spent €38 million this summer to improve their squad, with the likes of Filip Djuricic (Heerenveen), Lazar Markovic (Partizan) and Miralem Sulejmani (Ajax) arriving in Lisbon.
Benfica’s home stadium, the Estadio da Luz, will be the venue to host the cup final in May, but Jesus says the only motivation they need comes from proving their doubters wrong.
“The idea of playing the final here makes us want to become stronger tomorrow, to start the tournament well, but the fact that the final is in our stadium does not increase our motivation,” he told reporters.
“Our motivation and responsibility is to be in Champions League and do well.
“It is important to win as we know from our experience that a side who scores 10 points could qualify. If we win tomorrow we'll be in a better position than last year [when they drew 0-0 at Celtic].
"If our opponents think Benfica is a weak team, let us see on pitch.
"I cannot agree with that and said that we can only prove we are not a weak side tomorrow.”
Benfica kick off their Champions League campaign on Tuesday with a visit from Belgian side Anderlecht and, while Jesus will not have Eduardo Salvio, Nicolas Gaitan or Silvio available for selection because of injuries, he refuses to make any excuses.
“[Lazar] Markovic played two games in Serbia and against Pacos Ferreira he felt tired, but physically okay,"he added. "Enzo Perez is also an excellent player, but he sometimes fails to maintain the high level for 90 minutes.
“The squad is made up of 25 players in order to overcome these situations. We have several solutions and as a coach I’m happy with the squad we have available.
"What we think is that we can advance from this even group; all the teams have the same chance of qualifying."
The two sides last met in the 2004-05 qualifying round of the competition, with Benfica winning 1-0 in Portugal, but a 3-0 loss in Belgium eliminated them from the tournament.
Arrasate hopes to pull off another Champions League upset
By Alex Moretto13
Sep 17, 2013 12:37:00 AM
The 35-year-old saw his side knock out Lyon in the play-off round and believes a lack of experience will not hinder them in Group A
Real Sociedad coach Jagoba Arrasate believes his team will beat Shakhtar Donetsk in their Group A opener, despite their lack of Champions League experience.
La Real have reached the group stage for the first time since 2003 after knocking out Lyon in the play-off round, while the Ukrainian outfit are making their seventh appearance in eight years.
They may have not featured as regularly as their Group A opponents Manchester United, Bayer Leverkusen and Shakhtar, but Arrasate is confident in his side’s ability to reach the knockout stages.
“We know we’re in a group that’s difficult, but attractive at the same time,” he told reporters.
“This game is very important, we’re playing at home in what is a short group stage and we want to play a good match.
“If we play to our level, I am confident we can win.
“They've got a lot more experience in this competition than us, starting with their coach, but so did Lyon.”
The two sides have never met in European competition before, but Arrasate is well aware of the capabilities of Shakhtar, who helped knock out Chelsea in the group stage last season.
“Their experience in Europe stands out. They’re used to competing in the Champions League, they have a lot of quality and they’re not afraid to play their game," he continued.
“On the one hand we have to try to negate their strengths while also playing our game to give ourselves a chance of winning. We’ve analysed them a lot and we know what we’re up against.
“They are team who go out to win games, with a defined style of play and they’re not going to change. We’ll be trying to impose our own style and it should be an open and attractive game.”
On the opposing sidelines, Shakhtar coach Mircea Lucescu is familiar with Spanish opposition, having faced the likes of Barcelona, Sevilla and Valencia in recent years, but remains guarded ahead of their trip to the Anoeta Stadium.
“Real Sociedad are a good team. Any team that play in the Spanish league as they do and qualify for the Champions League are a difficult team," he said.
“They have the same players as last season and they know how to play together. They’re a well-structured team, they have top-class players and they’re playing at home in front of their supporters.
“They have great players like [Antoine] Griezmann, [Xavi] Prieto, [Haris] Seferovic, [Carlos] Vela and Inigo Martínez and we have to be ready for them.”
Bojan eyes Barcelona upset in 'special' Camp Nou return
Sep 17, 2013 10:00:00 AM
The Blaugrana youth product is keen to take on his former team, but realises Ajax face a tough task to get a good result
EXCLUSIVE
By Floris Koekenbier
Ajax attacker Bojan Krkic, on loan from Barcelona, is eagerly anticipating his return to Camp Nou and is hopeful of springing a surprise against the Spanish champions.
The 23-year-old moved to the Amsterdam ArenA on a one-year loan this summer after an unsuccessful spell in Serie A with Roma and AC Milan and he is keen to help the Eredivisie champions to a good result against his parent team.
"It will definitely be a special match for me. I'm defending the Ajax colours now, though, and will focus on my own team and game," the Spaniard told Goal.
"There's no doubt about it that it will be a tough game. We're playing the best team and best players in the world.
"But we have to remain positive and not just expect a defeat. We want a good result here and will do our utmost to get it.
"It's still a game of football and anything can happen in the Champions League. We will have to fight hard for it, though. That's the only way to achieve something against a team like Barca."
Wednesday's encounter at Camp Nou will be the first official encounter between Ajax and Barcelona.
The Argentina international has highlighted the importance of Wednesday's encounter and hopes his side can make an impact in Europe this season
Gonzalo Higuain feels Wednesday's Champions League match at home against Borussia Dortmund will give Napoli a good idea of where they stand in Europe.
The Serie A side last featured in the Champions League in 2011-12 when they made it to the round of 16, only to lose to Chelsea, and the Argentine is hopeful they can make an impact again this term.
"Wednesday's match is very important for Napoli. We want to start this Champions League campaign on a high," the 25-year-old told La Gazzetta dello Sport.
"Borussia Dortmund have achieved some great things and reached the final of the competition last year. It will be a great test for us.
"If we get off to a winning start, we could go far in the Champions League. We all realise that it will not be easy, though."
The game at the Stadio San Paolo kicks off at 20:45CET.
The Argentine defender believes that a slightly less stressful group than previous years should allow them to flourish and finally make an impact in the Champions League
Manchester City defender Pablo Zabaleta believes that the club will improve on their poor Champions League showing last season.
The Premier League side failed to win a game in Europe last season, picking up just three points as they finished bottom of a tough group that featured Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund and Ajax.
The Argentina international says that City have learned from their experiences in the competition, though, and expects them to put on a better showing under new manager Manuel Pellegrini.
"I think it is another chance for this club, for this team, to do better in the Champions League," Zabaleta told the press ahead of Tuesday's clash with Viktoria Plzen.
"From what happened the last two years in the Champions League, I think we learned and hopefully we will do better."
City's first involvement in the Champions League was in the 2011-12 campaign, when they finished third in another difficult group that contained Napoli, Bayern Munich and Villarreal. This season, they again meet Bayern but, with Plzen and CSKA Moscow also in Group D, Zabaleta believes that they have a better chance of progression.
"It is not an easy group - I am not saying this - but maybe if you compare this group with the last two years, it is a bit better," he argued.
"We believe in this team and I think we have got a great chance to qualify for the next round.
"It is important to win [in Plzen], to try to get three points. To start winning is important because then we have got Bayern Munich at home."
Pellegrini will take charge of his first European game as City manager at the Doosan Arena after enjoying Champions League success with Villarreal and Malaga and the full-back expects him to have a positive impact.
"He is a manager with good experience in the Champions League," he continued.
"He did well with Villarreal, and also with Malaga. Now it is a different experience for him, with a new team. Hopefully we can do well."
By Matthew Rogerson2
Sep 17, 2013 3:23:00 PM
The Celtic boss wants his players to produce a mature and confident performance in the San Siro, and is backing summer signing Derk Boerrigter to make a big impact
Celtic manager Neil Lennon is keen for his side to shake off the "gallant losers" tag against Milan on Wednesday.
The Scottish champions negotiated their way through a tough group which featured Barcelona and Benfica last season before bowing out in the round of 16 to Juventus.
While Lennon does not believe three points at San Siro are vital for progression to the knockout stages, he is keen to see a strong performance from his side.
"I would love us to win, but, more importantly, I want to see a performance," he is quoted as saying by the Glasgow Evening Times.
"And I don't want us to be gallant losers, either.
"I want us to go to the San Siro, play strongly, and play with the maturity we are starting to show."
While James Forrest will miss the match with his sciatic nerve problem, Lennon can call on close-season acquisition Derk Boerrigter in Milan.
The Dutchman made his third appearance for the club in Saturday's 3-1 victory over Hearts.
Lennon believes the former Ajax forward can make an impact on Wednesday, after what he described as a "very good" performance at Tynecastle.
"What Derk gives us is a quick leftie, with a bit of quality. He'll go beyond players and does make good runs off the ball," Lennon continued.
"It is a little bit different from what he was used to playing at Ajax in a rigid 4-3-3.
"Sometimes he is making runs in the park when we want him to stay just a little bit wider. But once he got adjusted to it on Saturday at Tynecastle, I thought he had a very good game."
The Nigeria international is looking forward to the match at the Allianz Arena and has little doubt CSKA will emerge victorious
Ahmed Musa is confident that CSKA Moscow have what it takes to beat titleholders Bayern Munich in Tuesday's Champions League encounter.
The Bundesliga champions are seen as one of the favourites to win the competition but the Nigeria international believes CSKA have every chance of bagging the full three points in Tuesday's Group D opener.
"Playing against Bayern is a privilege because they are a big club but after the game, we will see who the big side really are," he told Supersport.
"We have not made any special plans for Bayern Munich. They have very good players who are dangerous so we have to concentrate from the beginning to the end.
"However, I trust my team-mates and I am sure we will win this game."
Tuesday's match at the Allianz Arena is scheduled to kick off at 20:45CET.
Hazard warns Chelsea team-mates against Champions League hangover
By Husmukh Kerai28
Sep 17, 2013 12:39:00 PM
The Belgium international urges his Blues colleagues to put their defeat at Everton on Saturday behind them ahead of their first group-stage clash with Basel at Stamford Bridge
Chelsea midfielder Eden Hazard has asked his team-mates to bounce back from their defeat to Everton when they take on Basel in the Champions League.
Jose Mourinho's side fell to a 1-0 defeat against the Toffees on Saturday after spurning a succession of chances at Goodison Park and the Belgian believes that they need an immediate response at Stamford Bridge.
"We need to win because Chelsea is a big club and, if we lose two games, it's very bad for us," he told reporters ahead of Wednesday's clash.
"If we'd scored in the first half at Everton it would have been different. We need to work in training to help us beat Basel."
The Belgian's comments were echoed by Juan Mata, who insists that he is now fully fit after starting under Mourinho for the first time in that defeat.
The Spaniard added: "After one defeat you just want the next match to come as soon as possible and probably the Champions League is the best way.
"These nights at Stamford Bridge have a different feeling, even more so since we won the title two years ago. This competition brings great memories to all of us and makes us feel really excited.
"I'm looking forward to play at home again and I hope we win so we can face the next Premier League game with a good taste in our mouths.
"The next few weeks ahead are very intense - five games in just 14 days. In order to get ready for them is very important to get confidence and to be positive."
